Marijuana is Dangerous to Many Users and Addictive to Some, and Young People Are Particularly Vulnerable

Center City, Minn. (Feb. 10, 2017)—Marijuana is far from benign, and legalization debates must not overlook the dangers and public health implications of expanding the availability and use of yet another addictive drug.

That according to the Hazelden Betty Ford Institute for Recovery Advocacy, part of the world-renowned Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, the nation's largest nonprofit provider of addiction prevention, treatment and recovery services.

"As these debates continue, it seems the idea that marijuana is benign becomes more prevalent, and nothing could be further from the truth," said Dr. Marc Myer, the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation's Health Care Professional Program Director and Regional Medical Director for Adult Services in Minnesota.

Bills were introduced this week in Minnesota, where the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is headquartered, to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Similar debates are taking place in New York and throughout the country.

While the organization does not speak into specific proposals, it broadly opposes any efforts that increase the availability of marijuana and minimize the dangers of its use.

"Our clear and singular aim is to reduce the harmful impact of addiction in the United States," said Nick Motu, Vice President of the Hazelden Betty Ford Institute for Recovery Advocacy. "As such, our expertise, experience and energy is best applied to educating the public, especially young people and their parents, about the dangers and potentially addictive dynamics of all drugs, including marijuana, and to promote the promise and possibility of recovery."

Dr. Myer, a national expert on the topic, notes that a federal advisory panel recently identified problems associated with marijuana use and said the absence of scientific information about marijuana "poses a public health risk." The report was issued by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

"The science around the medical value of marijuana is young and unproven, whereas the risks are much clearer and more significant than the rush to legalize might indicate," said Dr. Myer.

Among other risks, the federal panel found strong evidence linking marijuana use to the risk of developing schizophrenia and other causes of psychosis.

"Early use of marijuana is especially troubling," said Dr. Myer. "The human brain develops throughout adolescence and well beyond. Marijuana use can harm learning, thinking and memory development and can contribute to mental health issues, not to mention medical problems. We also know the earlier a young person starts to use any mood and mind altering substance, the greater the possibility of developing addiction.

"One of the recurring themes we hear from the youth we treat every day is regret - of wasted time, lost opportunities, squandered talent, impaired memory, reduced performance and disinterest in healthy activities."

Expanded social acceptance will almost certainly result in more new users, higher frequency of use among established users and increases in marijuana-associated health and social problems, Dr. Myer added.

"While the debates over expanding availability continue, many young people view marijuana as less risky, and not surprisingly, more and more of them are smoking marijuana for the first time," he said.

"Marijuana is not benign. We know it is dangerous to many users and addictive to some, and that is not something to be glossed over in these debates," Dr. Myer said. "Expanding availability and use, and reducing the perception of harm, will undoubtedly have a negative impact on public health."

Dr. Myer sees dangerous similarities between the current rush to expand marijuana availability and previous efforts to expand the use of other substances – like opioid-based painkillers for example, whose benefits we now know were oversold while its lethal dangers were minimized, and tobacco, whose lobby we now know very eagerly exploited health for profit.

"If we're on our way to adding Big Marijuana to Big Pharma and Big Tobacco, we cannot sit by idly and let marketers control the narrative – we have to educate the public about the other side of the story – the very significant health risks of marijuana," Dr. Myer said.

While the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation opposes the use of marijuana recreationally and as a "medicine" unless it has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it does understand the cannabis plant has some medicinal qualities and supports further research.

About the Hazelden Betty Ford Institute for Recovery Advocacy

Our mission is to provide a leading national voice on all issues related to addiction prevention, treatment and recovery and to facilitate conversation among those in recovery, those still suffering and society at large. We are committed to smashing stigma, shaping public policy and educating people everywhere about the problems of addiction and the promise of recovery. The Hazelden Betty Ford Institute for Recovery Advocacy is part of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, the nation's largest nonprofit treatment provider. With a legacy that began in 1949 and includes the 1982 founding of the Betty Ford Center, the Foundation has 17 sites in California, Minnesota, Oregon, Illinois, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Colorado and Texas. Learn more at www.HBFinstitute.org and on Twitter @hbfinstitute.

The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is a force of healing and hope for individuals, families and
communities affected by addiction to alcohol and other drugs. It is the nation's largest
nonprofit treatment provider, with a legacy that began in 1949 and includes the 1982 founding
of the Betty Ford Center. With 17 sites in California, Minnesota, Oregon, Illinois, New York,
Florida, Massachusetts, Colorado and Texas, the Foundation offers prevention and recovery
solutions nationwide and across the entire continuum of care for youth and adults.